News from May 2012
Jury: Google didn't infringe on Oracle's patents
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California decided Wednesday that the search engine giant Google did not infringe on patents owned by Oracle.
BP to spend $400M to upgrade Ind. pollution controls
Zoeller WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that BP North America will pay an $8 million penalty for violation of the Clean Air Act.
SEC accuses Calif. man of investment fund scam
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday accused John A. Geringer - a Scotts Valley, Calif. investment adviser - with operating a $60 million investment fund scam.
Fed court fines broker $600K
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A New York federal court has ordered broker Kent R.E. Whitney to pay $600,000 for making false and misleading statements to Chicago Mercantile Exchange representatives, futures commission merchants and others in an elaborate margin avoidance plot.
AG Hood's settlements unlawfully paid private lawyers, Miss. SC rules
Hood JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that private attorneys hired by state Attorney General Jim Hood to sue MCI and Microsoft should not have received millions of dollars directly from settlements.
McKenna, RealNetworks reach $2.4M settlement
McKenna SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna announced a $2.4 million settlement on Thursday with a Seattle-based digital media provider for allegedly violating the state's Consumer Protection Act.
Mass. AG reaches $750K agreement with hospital
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a $750,000 settlement with South Shore Hospital to resolve allegations that it failed to protect confidential and personal health information for more than 800,000 consumers.
Mo. AG joins national settlement with Walgreens
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced on Wednesday that Missouri will participate in a national settlement with Walgreens that returns $42,000 to the state's Medicaid program.
Ninth Circuit: Juice maker's naming, labeling claims barred
O'Scannlain SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court ruled last week that federal regulations bar a juice company's pursuit of name and labeling claims against beverage heavyweight Coca-Cola.
R.I. SC: 'Shiny floor' allegation in suit against retailer not enough
Flaherty PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Legal Newsline) - The Rhode Island Supreme Court said last week that a lower court did not err when it ruled in favor of one of the nation's largest retailers of arts and crafts supplies in a lawsuit brought against the company for a customer's fall.
International arbitration court awards Dow $2.16B
MIDLAND, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - Dow Chemical Company announced Thursday that the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce issued its findings in the arbitration case between it and Petrochemical Industries Company of Kuwait.
Ohio SC upholds state's smoke-free workplace law
Lanzinger COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the enforcement of the state's Smoke Free Workplace Act against a Columbus bar is not an unconstitutional "taking" of property.
Facebook sued over IPO
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - The premier social networking utility, Facebook, is being sued by shareholders.
Pa. SC shoots down 'any-exposure' asbestos theory
Saylor PITTSBURGH (Legal Newsline) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the "any-fiber" theory of asbestos causation.
Woman, dying and abandoned, on hook for two mortgages, Hathaway felt
LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway once took the stance that a woman who was battling breast cancer and was abandoned by her husband was still liable for the entire amounts of two mortgages.
Lawyer pleads guilty to money laundering, securities fraud
NEW YORK (Legal Newlsine) - Martin Weisberg, a former corporate partner in the New York office of an international law firm, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one charge of money laundering and one charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
'Exorcist' author plans to sue Georgetown over Sebelius speech
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Author William Peter Blatty is suing to have Georgetown University, the nation's oldest Catholic university, sanctioned for violating the precepts of Catholic education.
Verizon subsidiaries resolve unemployment payments issue
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a $317,909.45 settlement on Wednesday with two Verizon subsidiaries to resolve allegations that they failed to pay full unemployment contributions to the state.
Mich. AG tells fundraiser to stop, alleges deceptive tactics
Schuette LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced on Tuesday that his Charitable Trust Section has issued a cease and desist order against the Veterans of America VOA Foundation to cease fundraising in the state.
Former Peak Fitness owner banned for 12 years
Cooper RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced an order on Tuesday against a former owner of more than 20 Peak Fitness locations, banning him from the health club business for 12 years.